Tag Archives: Miguel Cabrera

New York Mets third baseman and captain David Wright is one of eight finalists of the MLB Network’s annual Face of MLB contest.

The promotion is to determine a player who best represents the sport on and off the field. Wright, named team captain last year, has always been one of the best ambassadors of the sport, not only with his talent on the field, but his generosity off it in donating his time and efforts to numerous charitable events, plus his longtime, easy-going interactive nature with the club’s fans.

In the NCAA-type format, Wright defeated Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera last week and from tomorrow until Monday is paired against the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw.

If you have a Twitter account, the Mets are asking if you could encourage your followers to tweet using #DavidWright and #FaceOfMLB. RTing your tweets also count as a vote.

For the first time since the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, the New York Mets will have their moment under the national spotlight tonight as they host the All-Star Game, with the maître being Matt Harvey.

The whispers were first heard when Harvey had a 5-0 record in mid-May. The no-decision kept coming, but they didn’t deter the whispers that finally became a shout: Harvey will start in his home ballpark before a sell-out crowd and national television audience.

Both the Mets and Harvey wanted this night, so let’s hope he comes out of it unscathed and with another notch on this 2013 belt, which includes national magazine covers and photo shoots, a hilarious spot on Jimmy Fallon’s show last night and the tabloids chasing him all over town to find him in a lip lock with his model girlfriend.

When his pitching days are over, he said he wants to be a movie star. No, with the exception of his biting slider in the dirt, Harvey does not lay low.

He reminds one more of Joe Namath and Walt Frazier in that regard than Dwight Gooden. But, when Harvey takes the mound, you can’t help but see No. 16, who has taken over Twitter in his praise of Harvey.

The year was 1985 and the Mets were a budding powerhouse, and in the twilight of San Francisco’s Candlestick Park he struck out Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon and Alvin Davis. He didn’t actually strike them out as much as he overpowered them.

It was a sign of dominance to come.

Let’s be clear, the 1985 Mets were on the brink of becoming a power. The 2014 Mets are on the verge of becoming relevant again. There’s a big difference, the first step in both is pitching.

The Mets have been on national television before from Citi Field, but this time is different as the entire sports world is watching. That’s different than a Saturday afternoon game against the Phillies.

The Mets want to show off their ballpark, and perhaps at the same time state their case they are a franchise worth watching.

I disagreed with placing Harvey’s start tonight over pitching against the Pirates on Saturday, but I understand where the Mets are coming from. I understand what they are trying to attain.

They are screaming to the baseball world that they should be taken seriously again, and there are few things in the sport more serious than a 98-mph. fastball.

The Mets are closer to settling on their Opening Day roster, and being the Mets, some of their decision-making is predicated on injuries.

MURPHY: DL bound?

Half their infield – third baseman David Wright and second baseman Daniel Murphy, both of whom are slowed with strained intercostal muscles – will be determined at the end of the week, but the disabled list remains very much in play for both.

Wright reported no problems after taking live batting practice today, but how he felt after his swings is not the story.

“It’s the next step,’’ Wright told reporters. “Any time you get to the next step, it’s a significant step. It’s one step closer. … It’s important that I see how I feel tomorrow. I’ve said all along that Opening Day is my goal.’’

In all probability, Wright and Murphy will open the season backdated to the disabled list, meaning they would miss only the first five games of the season. It they were to play in a major league exhibition game and are injured, their DL stints would be backdated to the day after the injury.

Murphy played in a minor league game today and saw his first meaningful pitch since last season said it was “like trying to hit an aspirin.’’ Murphy went 1-for-2 with a walk, but said the biggest test might have been when he checked his swing and didn’t feel anything.

Because of the structure of minor league spring training games, Murphy could get as many as five or six at-bats a game, but that could increase the possibility of overdoing things and sustaining another injury.

If both Wright and Murphy go on the DL, one scenario has Justin Turner playing third and Jordany Valdespin at second. Another has Zach Lutz playing third and Turner at second.

Brandon Hicks is no longer a third base option as he was outrighted to the minors today, leaving way for Omar Quintanilla to make the team.

In addition, the Mets optioned to the minor league camp left-hander Aaron Laffey, Andrew Brown, Brian Bixler and Jamie Hoffman. By sending down Laffey, the Mets are reasonably sure Shaun Marcum – who missed his last start and took a cortisone injection in his shoulder – will be able to rejoin the rotation Thursday. Of course, if he’s not, it’s easy enough to recall Laffey.

A long shot to make the Opening Day roster, despite their need for defense in the outfield, was center fielder Matt den Dekker. That’s not going to happen now as broke his right wrist attempting to make a catch today. Compared to Jim Edmonds, den Dekker has had an exceptional spring in the field, but has struggled until recently at the plate.

METS OPTION d’ARNAUD: The Mets’ key to the R.A. Dickey was getting catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who was sent to Triple-A Las Vegas.

The Mets gambled keeping d’Arnaud around this week because had he been injured he would have opened the season on the major league disabled list, which would have started the clock on his service time. Should d’Arnaud, who hit .343 this spring, spend the first 20 days of the season in the minor leagues, his free agency would be delayed from after the 2018 season to after the 2019 season. His arbitration status would also be delayed a year if he’s not one of the top 22 percent of rookies called up.

That’s irrelevant insists GM Sandy Alderson.

“I know people talk about control and all of that,’’ Alderson said. “If John Buck gets hurt tomorrow, Travis d’Arnaud is the front-line catcher.’’

THE GAME: Matt Harvey’s next-to-last spring training start was not a good one, as he was hit for four runs in five innings in a 9-4 loss in a split-squad game to Detroit. In the other game, the Mets rallied from six runs down to beat St. Louis as Jamie Hoffman, Lutz and Mike Baxter homered.

Harvey struck out the side in the first, including Triple-Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, but it was all uphill from there. Harvey said he let his emotions get away from him and overthrew after the first inning.

“Definitely something I learned is try not to get too pumped up for a team and a lineup like that – back off and let everything work,’’ Harvey said.

Also not having a good day was set-up reliever Brandon Lyon, who gave up five runs on six his in one third of an inning.

It’s not the pitching line, but the feel of his pitches this time of year.

“I felt good. My stuff was very good,” Jonathan Niese said after this afternoon’s 62-pitch outing against the Venezuelan WBC team.

“I am not used to that kind of workload (this early in spring training). But, that’s a good thing.”

NIESE: More work to do. (AP)

Niese said getting his curveball over and mastering his change-up is what concerns him most. Both are feel pitches requiring time to master.

“I have to get my curveball over,” Niese said. “I couldn’t get my curve-ball over for strikes. My change-up is getting a lot better, but it’s not where I want. I need to build off this. Usually my change-up is always the last pitch. … I like where my arm strength is and I like how the ball is coming out of my hand.”

Mets fans might remember former Met Luis Sojo for his game-winning hit in Game 5 of the 2000 World Series. He’s now the manager of Venezuela’s WBC team and this morning said he knows Johan Santana is sad for not being able to pitch in the Classic.

Pointing to Santana, Sojo yelled to Mets manager Terry Collins: “He was supposed to pitch for me today. What happened?”

SOJO: Talks about Santana.

Santana long-tossed and fielded bunts while throwing off the mound this morning. He has not yet spoken to reporters about the death of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

“I talked to (Santana) a lot this winter,” Sojo said. “We understand the situation (about Santana not being allowed to pitch by the Mets). It is unfortunate. Right now, I know he’s sad. He has a good relationship with the players. I know how much he wanted to play.”

Sojo said the controversial Chavez’s death created an emotional cloud in his clubhouse.

“He used to be a baseball guy,” Sojo said. “A lot of times I got the phone call at 7 in the morning. I like to sleep. ‘Hey, that was the president, and he wants to talk to you.’ And after the games, the WBC, he used to call me. I mean, he loved baseball and he knows everybody … all the guys that I used to have on the teams. That was my relationship with him, over the phone.

“One time … I know we got the lead, like three runs in the third inning or fourth inning, and somebody scored five runs. He called me and said, ‘How come you don’t bring [in] Francisco Rodriguez? He said, ‘Hey, he’s the closer, I can pitch him in the fourth, so you should know that.’ ”

Rodriguez is on the Venezuelan team and chatted with Santana and Terry Collins before this afternoon’s game.